• Title/Summary/Keyword: MARINE ENVIRONMENT

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Motility and Chemotaxis in the Lyme Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi: Role in Pathogenesis (라임병 원인 스피로헤타 Borrelia burgdorferi의 운동성과 주화성: 발병기전에서의 역할)

  • Yoo, Ah Young;Kang, Ho Young;Moon, Ki Hwan
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.28 no.5
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    • pp.627-637
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    • 2018
  • Motility and chemotaxis are crucial for disease development in many motile pathogens, including spirochetes. In many bacteria, motility is provided by flagella rotation, which is controlled by a chemotaxis-signal-transduction system. Thus, motility and chemotaxis are inextricably linked. Spirochetes are a unique group of bacteria with distinctive flat-wave morphology and corkscrew-like locomotion. This unusual motility pattern is believed to be important for efficient motility within the dense tissues through which these spirochetes preferentially disseminate in a host. Unlike other externally flagellated bacteria-where flagella are in the ambient environment-the flagella of spirochetes are enclosed by the outer membrane and thus are called periplasmic flagella or endoflagella. Although motilityand chemotaxis-associated genes are well studied in some bacteria, the knowledge of how the spirochete achieves complex swimming and the roles of most of the putative spirochetal chemotaxis proteins are still elusive. Recently, cutting-edge imaging methods and unique genetic manipulations in spirochetes have helped to unravel the mystery of motility and chemotaxis in spirochetes. These contemporary advances in understanding the motility and chemotaxis of spirochetes in a host's persistence and disease process are highlighted in this review.

Corrosion Monitoring of Reinforcing Bars in Cement Mortar Exposed to Seawater Immersion-and-dry Cycles (해수침지-건조 환경에 노출된 모르타르속 철근의 부식속도 평가)

  • Kim, Je-kyoung;Kee, Seong-Hoon;Yee, Jurng-Jae
    • Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.10-18
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    • 2018
  • The primary purposes of this study are to understand a fundamental aspect of current uniformity around a reinforcing bar (rebar) in cement mortar, and to develop an accurate monitoring method in a wet-dry cycling process with the alternative current (AC) impedance method. Three cement mortar specimens with two embedded rebars were prepared in the laboratory. As a main variable, the distance between two rebars was designed to be 10, 20 and 30 mm with the same thickness of 20 mm. To simulate the corrosion of rebars in concrete structures in a marine environment, three cement mortar specimens were exposed to 15 wet-drying cycles (24-hour-immersion in seawater and 48-hour-drying in a room temperature) in the laboratory. It was observed that the potential level shifted to a noble value during corrosion potential monitoring, which is attributed to acceleration of dissolved oxygen diffusion at the drying process. AC impedance was measured in a frequency range from 100 kHz to 1 mHz on a wet-drying process. A theoretical model was proposed to explain the interface condition between the rebars and cement mortar by using the equivalent circuit consisting of a solution resistance, a charge transfer resistance and a CPE (constant phase element). It was observed that the diffusion impedance appeared in a low frequency range as corrosion of rebars progresses. At the drying stage of the wet-drying cycles, the currents line for monitoring tended to be non-uniform at the interface of rebar/mortar, being phase shift, ${\theta}$, close to $-45^{\circ}$.

Psychobiotic Effects of Multi-Strain Probiotics Originated from Thai Fermented Foods in a Rat Model

  • Luang-In, Vijitra;Katisart, Teeraporn;Konsue, Ampa;Nudmamud-Thanoi, Sutisa;Narbad, Arjan;Saengha, Worachot;Wangkahart, Eakapol;Pumriw, Supaporn;Samappito, Wannee;Ma, Nyuk Ling
    • Food Science of Animal Resources
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    • v.40 no.6
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    • pp.1014-1032
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    • 2020
  • This work aimed to investigate the psychobiotic effects of six bacterial strains on the mind and behavior of male Wistar rats. The probiotic (PRO) group (n=7) were rats pre-treated with antibiotics for 7 days followed by 14-day probiotic administration, antibiotics (ANT) group (n=7) were rats treated with antibiotics for 21 days without probiotics. The control (CON) group (n=7) were rats that received sham treatment for 21 days. The six bacterial strains with probiotic properties were mostly isolated from Thai fermented foods; Pedicoccus pentosaceus WS11, Lactobacillus plantarum SK321, L. fermentum SK324, L. brevis TRBC 3003, Bifidobacterium adolescentis TBRC 7154 and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis TBRC 375. The probiotics were freeze-dried into powder (6×109 CFU/5 g) and administered to the PRO group via oral gavage. Behavioral tests were performed. The PRO group displayed significantly reduced anxiety level and increased locomotor function using a marble burying test and open field test, respectively and significantly improved short-term memory performance using a novel object recognition test. Antibiotics significantly reduced microbial counts in rat feces in the ANT group by 100 fold compared to the PRO group. Probiotics significantly enhanced antioxidant enzymatic and non-enzymatic defenses in rat brains as assessed using catalase activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, respectively. Probiotics also showed neuroprotective effects with less pyknotic cells and lower frequency of vacuolization in cerebral cortex. This multi-strain probiotic formulation from Thai fermented foods may offer a potential to develop psychobiotic-rich functional foods to modulate human mind and behaviors.

Korea Barcode of Life Database System (KBOL)

  • Kim, Sung-Min;Kim, Chang-Bae;Min, Gi-Sik;Suh, Young-Bae;Bhak, Jong;Woo, Tae-Ha;Koo, Hye-Young;Choi, Jun-Kil;Shin, Mann-Kyoon;Jung, Jong-Woo;Song, Kyo-Hong;Ree, Han-Il;Hwang, Ui-Wook;Park, Yung-Chul;Eo, Hae-Seok;Kim, Joo-Pil;Yoon, Seong-Myeong;Rho, Hyun-Soo;Kim, Sa-Heung;Lee, Hang;Min, Mi-Sook
    • Animal cells and systems
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.11-19
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    • 2012
  • A major concern regarding the collection and storage of biodiversity information is the inefficiency of conventional taxonomic approaches in dealing with a large number of species. This inefficiency has increased the demand for automated, rapid, and reliable molecular identification systems and large-scale biological databases. DNA-based taxonomic approaches are now arguably a necessity in biodiversity studies. In particular, DNA barcoding using short DNA sequences provides an effective molecular tool for species identification. We constructed a large-scale database system that holds a collection of 5531 barcode sequences from 2429 Korean species. The Korea Barcode of Life database (KBOL, http://koreabarcode.org) is a web-based database system that is used for compiling a high volume of DNA barcode data and identifying unknown biological specimens. With the KBOL system, users can not only link DNA barcodes and biological information but can also undertake conservation activities, including environmental management, monitoring, and detecting significant organisms.

Fine Structure and Histopathological Changes Exposed to Acute High Salinity of the Gill of Japanese Clam, Corbicula japonica (일본재첩, Corbicula japonica 아가미의 정상구조와 고염분 급성노출에 의한 조직병리학적 변화)

  • Park, Jung-Jun;Lee, Jung-Sick;Lee, Jae-Seong
    • The Korean Journal of Malacology
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    • v.27 no.1
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    • pp.15-27
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    • 2011
  • This study was performed to observe ultrastructure of the gill and to ascertain the effect of salinity on histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the gill of the Japanese clam, Corbicula japonica. Experimental period was 7 days. Experimental groups consisted of control, 5, 10, 20 psu. $LC_{50}$ (96 h.) by the probit was 19.55 psu. Mortality was significantly different from the control (p < 0.05). Inner demibranch of the gill of C. japonica was wider 1.37 times than outer demibranch (p < 0.001). The filament zone on the plica can be distinguished by the six epithelial celll cell; frontal ciliated epithelium ($7{\mu}m$), latero-frontal ciliated epithelium ($5{\mu}m$), postlatero-frontal epithelim ($3{\times}8{\mu}m$), and lateral ciliated epithelium ($5{\mu}m$) in the frontal zone, endothelial cellin the intermediate zone, and abfrontal cell in the abfrontal zone. It had one type of secretory cell that was filled with fibrous substances of low electron density. The gill of C. japonica exposed to 5 psu for 7 days was observed partially disappearance of the cilia, and glycogen granule in the filament. In the 10 psu, gill appeared partially modification of epithelial cell and destruction of the glycocalyx. Gill exposed to 20 psu was extended nuclus of the ciliated epithelial cell, destruction of the organelles, and observed glycogen granules infiltration and numerous vacuoles. Moreover, more than 50% filaments were observed that come out chitinous rod from disappearance of epithelial cell in the filament. Therefore, the destruction of the cilia and epithelial cell induce physiological activity and it may be leading directly to death.

Development of PLM Prototype for Conceptual Design of Marine Vessels (선박의 초기설계 제품정보관리를 위한 PLM 시스템 원형 개발)

  • Lee, Chan-Woo;Lee, Jang-Hyun;Lee, Kyung-Ho;Lee, Jae-Beom;Kim, Dae-Seok;Seo, Heung-Won
    • Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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    • v.21 no.6
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    • pp.543-553
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    • 2008
  • Shipbuilding is a kind of ETO(Engineering To Order) industry which designs and produces a product in accordance to various requirement of customers, rules and regulations. Recently, the number of ordered ships has been increased by up to two or three times in each domestic shipyards. Most shipyards have been adopted 3D ship CAD, ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) and APS(Advanced Planning System) to get an efficient product development and manufacturing system. However, not only the effective operation of 3D ship CAD, ERP and APS but also the production efficiency can be achieved only if product information management which can manages the product data is implemented in an integrated environment. Present study has suggested a systematic approach to implement a PLM system to manage the product data in early design shipbuilding. Also, a prototype of PLM is implemented to manage the product data in a basic ship-design. In the prototype system, a product structure and architecture of PLM is considered.

Ultrastructure of Oocytes During Oogenesis and Oocyte Degeneration Associated with Follicle Cells in Female Sinonovacula constricta(BIVALVIA: PHARIDAE) in Western Korea

  • Chung, Ee-Yung;Ko, Cheol-Hwan;Kang, Hee-Woong;Choi, Ki-Ho;Jun, Je-Cheon
    • Animal cells and systems
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    • v.12 no.4
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    • pp.313-319
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    • 2008
  • The ultrastructure of oocytes during oogenesis and oocyte degeneration associated with follicle cells in female Sinonovacula constricta(Lamarck, 1818) were investigated by electron microscope observations. Ovarian follicles are surrounded by a matrix of vesicular connective tissue cells(VCT cells). VCT cells contain large quantities of glycogen particles and several lipid droplets in their cytoplasm. It is suggested that VCT cells act as a source of nutrients for vitellogenesis during oogenesis. In early vitellogenic oocytes, several coated vesicles, which appear at the basal region of the oocyte, lead to the formation of membrane-bound vesicles via endocytosis. The uptake of nutritive materials in coated vesicles formed by endocytosis appears through the formation of coated pits on the oolemma during vitellogenesis. During the late stage of oogenesis, yolk precursors(yolk granules), mitochondria and lipid droplets are present in the cytoplasm of late vitellogenic oocytes. In particular, proteinaceous yolk granules containing several different components are intermingles and form immature yolk granules. In the mature oocyte, small immature yolk granules are intermingled and form large mature yolk granules. Vitellogenesis occurs through a process of autosynthesis, involving combined activity of the Golgi complex, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm of vitellogenic oocytes. The process of heterosynthesis is where extraovarian precursors are incorporated into oocytes by endocytosis at the basal region of early vitellogenic oocytes before the formation of the vitelline coat. Follicle cells appear to play an important role in vitellogenesis and oocyte degeneration. The functions of attached follicle cells to the oocyte during oocyte degeneration are phagocytosis and digestion of phagosomes originating from oocyte degeneration. After digestion of phagosomes, it is assumed that the function of follicle cells can permit a transfer of yolk precursors necessary for vitellogenesis and allows for the accumulation of glycogen and lipid during oocyte degeneration, which can be employed by vitellogenic oocytes. Follicle cells of S. constricta may possess a lysosomal system for induction of oocyte breakdown and might resorb phagosomes in the cytoplasm for nutrient accumulation during oocyte degeneration.

Inhibitory Effect of Methanol Extracts and Solvent Fractions from Meju on Mutagenicity and Growth of Human Cancer Cells (메주 메탄올 추출물 및 분획물의 항돌연변이 및 인체 암세포 성장 억제 효과)

  • Lim, Sun-Young;Park, Kun-Young;Lee, Sook-Hee;Choi, Jae-Soo
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.17 no.1 s.81
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    • pp.76-81
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    • 2007
  • Inhibitory effects of methanol extracts and several solvent fractions from meju on mutagenicity in vitro genotoxicity (SOS chromotest) and growth of human cancer cells (AGS gastric adenocarcinoma and Hep 3B hepatocellular cancinoma cells) were studied. The treatment of meju methanol extracts $(100{\mu}g/assay)$ to SOS chromotest system inhibited N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced mutagenicity by 36%. However, the ethylacetate and dichloromethane fractions from meju methanol extracts showed the stronger antimutagenic effects (91% and 91%, respectively) in SOS chromotest. In sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay, the treatments of ethylacetate and dichloromethane fractions (2 mg/assay) significantly inhibited the growth of AGS and Hep 3B cancer cells by 64% and 71%, respectively. These results indicated that meju had inhibitor)r effects on MNNG in SOS mutagenic system and growth of human cancer cells, suggesting that its antimutagenic effect may be relative to activity of doenjang.

Production of Inhibitory Compounds against Helicobacter pylori by Culture Condition of Morus alba cv. Cheongmoknosang Callus (청목노상(Morus alba cv. Cheongmoknosang) callus의 배양조건에 따른 Helicobacter pylori 억제물질의 생산)

  • Cho, Young-Je;Cha, Won-Seup;Kang, Sun-Ae;An, Bong-Jeun;Ahn, Dong-Hyun;Kim, Myung-Uk;Chae, Jung-Woo
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.23 no.3
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    • pp.368-376
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    • 2013
  • The optimal condition for Morus alba cv was an MS culture medium at $27^{\circ}C$ for 20 days. Cheongmoknosang callus showed inhibitory activity against Helicobacter pylori at 1.05 g of wet weight of the cultured callus. The callus formation of Morus alba cv. Cheongmoknosang was influenced by naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and kinetin at concentrations of 2 mg/l. The growth rate of callus was higher than it was when these hormones were mixed with a single hormone. Thus, the optimal condition for direct callogenesis was to incubate with mixture (2,4-D/NAA) of 2 mg/l concentration at $27^{\circ}C$ for 20 days. Moreover, the optimal culture condition of the biomass in the mass production of inhibitory compounds against Helicobacter pylori from Morus alba cv. Cheongmoknosang callus was to incubate in an MS broth (each concentration 1 mg/l of 2,4-D and BA). When Morus alba cv. Cheongmoknosang callus were incubated for 20 days in a bioreactor, Helicobacter pylori inhibition of callus extracts was the highest at a clear zone of 16 mm.

Phenolic Content, DPPH Radical Scavenging, and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Activities of Ecklonia cava Extracted with the Ultrasonic Wave Method (초음파 추출법에 의한 감태 추출물의 페놀성 화합물 함량, DPPH 라디칼 소거 활성 및 tyrosinase 저해 활성 분석)

  • Kim, So Jung;Kim, Donggiun;Park, Jongbum;Lee, Taek-Kyun
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.23 no.7
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    • pp.913-918
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    • 2013
  • The applicability of the ultrasonic wave method to the extraction of useful components from seaweeds was investigated. Extracts from freeze-dried Ecklonia cava powder were prepared with hot water ($65^{\circ}C$), water ($24^{\circ}C$), 50% ethanol, and 100% ethanol, and ultrasonic extraction was also performed. The content of phenolic compounds and the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the extracts were analyzed, and differences in the data obtained by the ultrasonic extraction and the traditional extraction methods were compared. The phenolic content in the E. cava extract by ultrasonic extraction (142.80 mg/g) was approximately 14 times higher than the phenolic content in the hot water extract (10.03 mg/g). The DPPH radical scavenging and the tyrosinase inhibitory activities of the ultrasonic extract were approximately 4 times and 14 times higher than the hot water extracts, respectively. The correlation between the phenolic content and the DPPH radical scavenging activity ($R^2$=99.47) and between the phenolic content and the tyrosinase inhibitory activity ($R^2$=99.99) was very high. These results indicate that ultrasonic extraction is more suitable than traditional extraction for the extraction of useful components from E. cava.